Artsakh's MFA Responds to Georgia and Ukraine's MFA Statements

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh has commented on the statements made by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and Ukraine regarding the local self-governance elections held in Artsakh.

The statement reads: "On September 8, local self-government elections took place in the Republic of Artsakh, marking yet another achievement for the authorities and the public of Artsakh in the ongoing process of the consistent development and strengthening of democratic institutions in the republic. The nervous reaction of the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the conducted elections was predictable, manifesting yet another denial of not only the fundamental rights of Artsakh's citizens but also democratic values in general.

The statements of the Georgian and Ukrainian Ministries of Foreign Affairs raise concerns as they associate themselves with Azerbaijan's anti-democratic regime. Such statements not only contradict the proclaimed commitment of Georgia and Ukraine to democratic values but also constitute interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Artsakh, violating the principles of equality of peoples and sovereign equality of states.

Furthermore, the statements of the Georgian and Ukrainian MFA include provisions that distort the essence of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, aiming to present it as a territorial dispute and to express support for the so-called internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. In this regard, we would like to remind the Georgian and Ukrainian sides that Azerbaijan does not have internationally recognized borders apart from its Russian-Azerbaijani segment. Moreover, a significant portion of the Georgian-Azerbaijani border has not yet been definitively agreed upon. The borders of Azerbaijan have not been clarified not only with Georgia but also with several other neighboring countries. The delimitation and demarcation processes have not even begun with some of them.

We urge the authorities of Georgia and Ukraine to adhere to their proclaimed value system based on democratic principles, human rights, and freedoms, and to refrain from such statements in the future that concern the realization of the fundamental rights of the citizens of the Republic of Artsakh enshrined in international fundamental documents."